PREVIEW: Nigeria Vs. Ethiopia

Africa Cup of Nations

• Venue: Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
• Date: Tuesday 29 January
• Kick-off: 6:00 WAT

Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website, TV coverage on Eurosport and ITV

Nigeria go into their final group game chasing their first win, while Ethiopia are bottom of the pile with a point.
The Super Eagles stand in second place in Group C with two points, having conceded late equalisers to Burkina Faso and Zambia. Nigerian captain Joseph Yobo and Chelsea midfielder Victor Moses face late fitness tests.

Ethiopia may be without striker Adane Girma, who scored their only goal of the finals, and Asrat Mergasa.
Girma has a leg injury after coming off in the Ethiopians' defeat to Burkina Faso and Mergasa has a knee injury.
 
Ethiopia coach Sewnet Bishaw:
"Before the match I will tell my players to play football and to gain experience out of a huge team like Nigeria.
"We are here to play football and everybody is surprised by our football.
"Our mission is to show the rest of the world that we can play football. That is the message to my players."
 
Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi:
"I am standing by my players, especially John Obi Mikel after his penalty miss against Zambia.
"We have all to play for against Ethiopia and my wish is that we build a commanding lead and hold it."

 

PROBABLE LINEUPS

NIGERIA Enyeama Omeruo, Oboabona, Ambrose, Elderson Igiebor, Mikel, Ogude Musa, Emenike, Brown

ETHIOPIA   Tadele Hailu Reda,Debebe, Tesfaye, Bogale Zinabura, Beyene, Adis, BekeleSaladin, Assefa

Rustenburg will be the venue for the Super Eagles’ final Group C match—a contest which will decide the immediate future of the nation’s football. How will the nation remember the 2013 Cup of Nations? Will this be the year of what-ifs and might-have-beens? The year when the side conceded late equalisers against Burkina Faso and Zambia, throwing away four points in the process.
Or, will it be the year when the side overcame some perceived injustices to qualify from a tricky group and make an emphatic return to the continent’s high table? The future is still in the hands of the Super Eagles, for whom the permutations are numerous.

All Stephen Keshi will be telling his boys is that a win against Ethiopia will guarantee their place in the quarter-finals. The Black Lions may well be in disarray after their demolition at the hands of Burkina Faso, and shorn of the confidence that characterised their opening battle with Zambia, the Big Boss may well identify the Walya Antelopes as ripe for the taking.

After impressing in the first two fixtures, the duo of Emmanuel Emenike and Ahmed Musa will likely be the key attacking options for Nigeria. Despite his nervous penalty miss, John Obi Mikel’s improvement throughout the Zambia match will not have gone unnoticed—indeed, it was his pass which led to Emenike’s opening goal against Chipolopolo.

Defensive resiliency has been the issue for Naija in the first two games, and Keshi might be tempted to recall skipper Joseph Yobo, who sat out of the second fixture against Zambia.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Ethiopia, ranked 110th in the Fifa world rankings, are the lowest ranked team in the competition.

• 
  The east Africans return to the competition after a 31-year absence, but are yet to register a victory this year.

• Nigeria skipper Joseph Yobo was set to win his 90th cap against Zambia, but after not making it onto the pitch, that land mark could be sealed against Ethiopia.
• In contrast, Kenneth Omeruo, who replaced the Fenerbache man is relative newcomer to the side – the 19-year-old is currently playing for ADO Den Haag on loan from Chelsea.